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General
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The trombone, for most of its 500 years, was a small and light instrument. Only in recent history has it grown step by step in to its present size and shape. Today’s trombone is a much more versatile instrument than its predecessor. However, as the trombone changed, it also became a heavier instrument. |
| Today, we also pay much more attention to how the tools and equipment we use every day affect our health. This is the science of ergonomics. The trombone, while a marvelous instrument, does pose special ergonomic challenges because of its size and weight. The bigger the horn (especially a bass trombone), or the smaller the player (especially a young player), the more important ergonomic considerations become. |
| Over the years, if the trombone is held with a statically tense hand, many players suffer various consequences. |
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| First the hand gets tired and stiff. Later one often acquires aquires many kinds of pains in the wrist, arm, elbow, upper arm and shoulder or in the upper back and neck. This can reduce the effectiveness and enjoyment of playing the trombone. It does not have to be like this. |
| Today the trombone is probably the heaviest instrument to be played without any support, being held entirely by the left hand. Saxophones, bassoons, and cellos are not held with tense hands during playing. Nowadays even many oboists and clarinetists hold their instruments of a few hundred grams with neckstripe rather than with tense hands. It is important to feel relaxed and comfortable when making music. |
| The ErgoBone trombone support is specially designed to be a handy medium to enable the player to keep his or her hands and upper body completely relaxed by removing the need for the body to support the weight of the trombone. Instead, the ErgoBone support will transmit the weight of the horn to the floor, or chair, or to the harness the player may wear. Freeing up the upper body can also help the most important aspects of brass playing: breathing and airflow. With ErgoBone, the only task remaining for the left hand is to hold the mouthpiece in the right place and angle for each situation. With the weight of the horn taken off of the body, the player’s touch and feel for playing are improved and stresses are reduced. |
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| The ErgoBone trombone support can be used while sitting or standing. An aluminum fastener is attached near the center of gravity of the trombone and it joins either in a monopod tube standing on the floor or chair, or in a plastic counterpart hanging in a comfortable harness - similar to other wind instrument harnesses. The floor tube is designed to be used while seated, and the harness can be used in both the seated and standing positions. It is an individual matter as to which position is preferred. One can of course use both harness and floor tube and exchange from one the other easily and quickly when needed. |
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| The height adjustment of the instrument is done with a quick fingerscrew with your right hand. Simply open the screw, adjust the instrument to the desired height and lock up the screw. Nice and quick. |
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| Even if the height screw is locked you can easily turn your instrument in any direction at any time. But when needed, ErgoBone holds the instrument in the desired position automatically. This enables you to play the trombone without any tension in the left hand and shoulder, quite a relaxing feeling! |
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Craig Parmerlee, Philharmonic Orchestra of Indianapolis USA, playing his Alexandre F contrabass trombone with the ErgoBone.
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Ben van Dijk, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Rotterdam Conservatory, Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester |
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Any comments or questions? |